Preparation of silicon polymers employing unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers



I also sought.

PREPARATION OF SIIZJCON POLYMERS EMPLOY- IN}? UNSATURATED HYDROCARBON MONO- M RS Siegfried Nitzsche and Robert Miiller, Burghausem.

Bavaria, Germany, assignors to Wacker-Chemie G.m.b.H., Munich, Bavaria, Germany No Drawing. Filed June 28, 19 61, Ser. No. 120,190

Claims priority, application Germany, July 8, 1960,

W 28,154 6 Claims.' (Cl. 260-465) -metals and metal compounds as catalysts. It is the object of this invention to carry outa simultaneous polymerization of an unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon monomer and addition of a hydrogensilicon material thereto. A simple polymerization method with improved yield is Another object is a new series of deriva tivesof polymers. New polymers prepared by new methods are also an object. Other specific and general objects and advantages are detailed in or will be apparent from the following disclosure.

This invention comprises preparation of valuable high molecular weight organic polymers by reacting (1) a polymerizable organic compound containing at least one aliphatic multiple bond with (2) an organosilicon compound containing at least one hydrogenatom bonded to a silicon atom in each molecule, in the presence of (3) a compound of a metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Cb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W, and (4) a metal selected from Mn, Os, Ir,' Pt,' Rh, Pd, and Au. The .reaction can be carried out in an organic solvent if desired. The metallic ingredient (4) can be added as a compound which is reduced to the metal under the conditions of reaction. I

This invention also includes the furtherreaction of (A) the polymeric products prepared from acetylene compounds by the above method with (B) an oxygen-' containing acid,'whereupon ester-like decomposition products are obtained which can readily be converted to water soluble materials.

The polymerizable unsaturated organic compounds employed herein are hydrocarbon alkenes and alkynes such present in the unsaturated molecule as in vinyl chloride,

a-llyl bromide, allyl iodide, allylene bromide, triand tetrachoroethylene', tetrafluoroethylene, chloroprene, propargyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, dichlorostyrene, vinyl acetate, vinyl butyl ether, acrylic acid ester, acrylic acid nitril'e, methacrylic acid ester, methacrylic' acid nitrile,

propiolic acid, al'lyl alcohol, methylvinyl-carbinol, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, vinylacetic acid, oleic acid, sorbic acid, linolenic acid, chaulrnoogric acid, butenyl acetate,

allyl stearate, diallyl succinate, diallyl glutarate, methylene malonic ester, diallyl phthalate and diallyl maleonate. Particularly useful are hydrocarbon olefins and hydrocarbon alkynes and their alkyl and aryl derivatives as well as functional derivatives thereof including esters, ethers, halides, nitriles and unsaturated acids.

The organosilicon com-pounds employed herein must I contain in each molecule at least one hydrogen atom drogen silanes such as HSiCl and,

Suitable polymers include CI HSiSiI-ICI R HSiSiBr R HSiOSiR I-i(RHSiO),, where a is at least 3,

R SiCH CH SiI-ICl R SiC H SiI-I OR, Where b is a positive integer, and copolymers containing any one. or more of 'units R SiO R SiO, RSiO and SiO along with at least one unit per molecule of the formulae RHSiO, R HSiO HSiO H SiO, and RH s iO In all of the preceding formulae each R can be. any organic radical and each R can represent the same or different radicals in any particular molecule; In the preferred embodiments, each R represents a monovalent hydrocarbon or halohydrocarbon radical including alkyl radicals'such as methyl, ethyl, butyl and octadecyl; cycloa alkyl radicals such as cyclohexyl and cyclopentyl; aryl radicals such asphenyl, diphenyl and anthracyl'; aralkyl radicals such as benzyl and phenylethyl; alkaryl radicals such as tolyl and. ethylphenyl; haloaryl such as monochlorophenyl, dichlorophenyl, 3,3,3-trifiuoropropyl, oz,oz,oz-

chlorotolyl, perchloroethyl, bromocyclohexyl, bromobenzyl, and so forth.

The preferred Si-H containing compounds are those having the general formula R,,SiH,,Y and hydrolysisproducts thereof, wherein R is as above defined, each as ethylene, propylene, pentene, octene, octadecylene,

cetene (C cerotene (C melene (C acetylene, butyne-l, heptyne-l, dodecyne-l, methylethylethylene, isobutylene, 3-methylbutyne-l, pentene-Z, 2-methylbutene-2,

' pentyne-Z, butadiene-1,3, allene (CH ::CH=CH )-pentadiene, isoprene, methylisoprene, vinylacetylene, divinylacetylene, diacetylene, dipropargyl (HC E CCHzCHgCE CH) hexadiyne-2,4,cyclopent ene, cyclohexene, laurolene, cyclopentadiene, styrene, divinylbenzene, allylbenzene, phenylbutadiene, and phenylacetylene. Included in the operable Y is a halogen atom, alkoxy radical or OOCR radical where R is as above defined, x is 0, 1 or 2, and; is 1 or 2. The hydrolysis products are of the unit formula R,12r.s1o

Where R, x and z are as above defined but x+z is less than 4. Commercial availability and cost factors favor zirconium, columbium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum,

and tungsten. Preferred are the compounds of Ti,V and Zr because of availability and superior performance. Operative titanium and zirconium enolates are disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,833,735, issued May 6, 1958. Op-

erative zirconium compounds are further disclosed in Patent No. 2,789,956, issued April 23, 1957, and Patent Patented Aug. 3, tees Sec. 5).

, timate product.

invention.

of V, Cr, Cb, Mo, 'Hf, Ta, and W are also operative.

In place of the compounds of metals set forth as ingredient (3), the catalyst mass can contain a compound -of a metal in groups VIIB, VIII, 1B, 118, IHA of the periodic chart of elements, such metals being Mn, Tc,

Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Zn,-

Cd, Hg, Al, Ga, In, and Te. The operable-compound must be soluble in aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon solvents or ethers or they must be wetted .by these solvents. The compounds wetted by solvents are those wherein the angle of wetting of a solution-of the compound in an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon or ether .solvent equals 0.

'The co-catalyst (3.) is preferably unsaturated in the sense of Werners theory of coordination (see H. Rornpp, Chemi Lexikon, 4th Edition, Stuttgart, 1958, p. 2398,

Examples of. compounds operable as'co-catalysts (3) include metal carbonylsv such as Fe(CO) metal salts of carboxylic acids such as Mn(OOCCH halides such as ReCl alkoxyand aryloxy compounds such as T1OC H Mn(OC H r-,) Re(OC I-I' 2 5)s Co(OC H and Ni(OC H and 'chelates such as acetoacetic ester chelate of cobalt Co(C H O Co(II)-acetyl acetonate, Ni(II)-acetyl acetonate, Fe (II)-acetyl acetonate, and Mn(II)-acetyl acetonate.

Also included in the catalyst system is (4) a metal selected from transition elementsincluding manganese, osmium, iridium, plaitnum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium and gold. The metal is introduced in a finely divided or powdered'form as in platinum black, platinized silica gel, platinized asbestos, platinized charcoal and similar forms of the manganese, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium and gold, Alternatively,

Only after the metal compound has been reduced does 4 I it exert the catalytic effect.

It is further suggested that the finely divided metals operable as ingredient (4) can include iron, cobalt and nickel.

The proportions of (2) hydrogensilicon compound and (1) unsaturated-organic compound employed herein depends only upon the silicon content desired in the ul- An excess of either reactant can be employed and products containing unreacted ESlH groups or unreacted olefinic or acetylenic linkages may be desired. However, it is preferred to use at least 2 mols of the catalyst (3) and 10- to 10- mols of the transition element as catalyst -(4) for each equivalent of silicon bonded hydrogen to be reacted.

A wide variety of reaction conditions are operable herein. Reaction under vacuum, with heat, under pressure, in vapor phase or-fluid bed and other variations are possible and are included within the scope of the Becauseof the wide. variety of reactants, the exact reaction conditions can be chosen to fit reactants, processing characteristics and desired product.

A preferred embodiment comprises mixing (1) the unsaturated organic monomer or monomers, (2) organosiloxane containing silicon bonded hydrogen, and (3) the compound of Ti, V, Cr, Zr, 'Cl, Mo, Hf, Ta, or W inan inert solvent such as an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon and/or ether which is fluid at'the reaction temp'erature.

The metal or metal compound of a transition element is added as catalyst (4') dissolved or dispersed in an organic ether, alcohol, or other suitable solvent.

The reaction mass is heated in the range from roomtemperature up to 200 'C. under normal or elevated pressure. The reaction occurs readily with excellent yields.

The polymeric products may contain unreacted ESlH groups which can be removed by washing or digesting the polymer in slightly alkaline alcohol. The polymeric products are high polymers and include viscous fluids,

SiH to produce the expected unit, can be converted'to other useful products by addition reactions; For example, the double bond can be employed for further modification by reaction with ox-ygen-containing acids with final saponification. Further, the double bond containing polymers can be halogenated,

etc. t

The subsequent reactions of the polymers prepared as noted above with oxygen containing acids is a further part of this invention. The polymerization products of acetylene are of commercial interest but have notattained wide commercial use. The polymerization method disclosed above is applicable to acetylenic monomers to produce polymers which contain silicon in the chemical structure. Such polymers are further reacted with nitric acid to'produce corresponding nitrates, with sulfuric acid to produce the corresponding sulfate, with acetic acid in I the presence of zinc chloride to produce the acetate, and so forth. When oxidizing acids are employed, the Si-C bonds are cleaved thus esterifying the polymer and re- .moving the pendent silicon groups simultaneously.

The oxygen-containing, esterlike polyene derivatives I obtained as above can be converted to water soluble 'polyols via saponification, preferably in the presenceof standard saponit ication catalysts such as dilute acids and alkalis, if desired under pressure. The water soluble alkali salts of the 'sulfated products displaysurface active properties and can be used as wetting agents. Such salts are obtained from the reaction products of polyene and sulfuric acid through further reaction with alkalis.

The unsaponified polyene esters are useful per se in adhesives, molding resins, preparation of artificial fibers, and a host of other uses. The nitrate derivatives find particular use as explosives.

The following examples are included herein to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and practicing this invention. The scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims and is not restricted by the examples. All

Example I A mixture was prepared with 74 g. acrylic acid stabilized with methylene blue to prevent spontaneous polym erization, 60 g. methylhydrogensiloxane prepared by hydrolysis of methyldichlorosilane and stripping the hydrolyzate to C. at atmospheric pressure (hereinafter MHS), 250 ml. tetrahydrofuran and 3 10- mol chloroplatinic acid dissolved in ether. The mixture was heated to reflux and after 2 hours refluxing no reaction could be observed. refluxing continued and immediately a reaction started. A viscous mass was obtained during 2 hours refluxing. The reaction mass was separated from solvent by distilling oi? the solvent and 15 g. of unreacted acrylic acid 1.5 ml. tetra-n-butyltitanate was added and- Example 2 A. mixture was prepared with 148 g. acrylic acid, stabilized as in Example 1, and 30 g. MHS dissolved in 200 ml. tetrahydrofuran and 200 ml. toluene-mixed with 4 ml. tetra-nwbut yltitanate and 3 X mol chloroplatinic acid andheated atrefiux for -2-hours. The reaction .p'roductwasprocessed in accordance with the procedure of Example 1. All of the acrylic acid had polymerized to form an elastic gumlike mass with a silicon content Example 3 A mixture of 52 g. acrylonitrile and 60 g. methyl- I hydrogensiloxane cyclic tetramer [(CH HSiO) was dis solved in 150 ml. benzene. The catalyst mix of 3Xl0- mol of chloroplatinic acid and 0.5 ml. tetra-n-butyltitanate was added to the mixture and the mass refluxed for minutes. The reaction mass was processed as in Example. 1 to produce a 60% yield of pulverulent acrylonitrile polymer having an Si content of 1.4% based on the acrylonitrile.

Example 4 I A mixture of 52 g. acrylonitrile and 60 g. MHS was i dissolved in 1.50 ml. toluene. The catalyst mix of 4 ml.

tetra-n-butyltitanate and 1X10 mol chloroplatinic acid was added and-the reaction mixture was refluxed for 30 minutes. The reaction mass was processed in accordance with the method of Example 1 and a quantitative yield of pulverulent polyacrylonitrile containing 2.5% silicon was obtained.

Example 5 A mixture of 100 g. phenylacetylene, g. (CH HSiO) and 4 g. tetra-n-butyltitanate was dissolved in 200ml. benzene. The mixture was heated to reflux after the addition of 2 10- mols of chloroplatinic acid. Reaction .and polymerization were initiated at 80 C. and proceeded exothermically. After concentrating the solution by sol-'- vent evaporation, the mass was precipitated-with ethanol.

A viscous dark polymeric mass containing SiI-I groups (0.1% active hydrogen) was obtained; The polymer I mass was treated with .01 N methanolic potash lye producing cross linking andevolution of hydrogen' The cross-linked polymer was not soluble in organic solvents and contained 7.5 percent silicon.-

Example 6 A mixture of 15 g. MHS and 5 g. tetra-n-butyltitanate dissolved in 100 ml. benzene washeated at reflux under nitrogen until the solution wasa deep blue. The catalyst system was completed by adding 1X10 mol of chloroplatini'c acid. The mixture was held 'at 60 C. and 54 g.

' of styrene was slowly added in drop-wise fashion. The polymer so produced was precipitated from a concentrated solution by adding ethanol. The polymer was redissolved in toluene and reprecipitated a total of 15 times. The polymer so obtained contained 0.1% silicon and further dissolving and precipitation did not alter this polymer. The polymer had afmelting'point of 170 C.

Example 7 The method of Example 6 was repeated employing 30 g. MHS, 5 g. tctra-n-butyltitanate, 1 10- mol chloroplatinic acid and 54 g. styrene. A viscous oil with a silicon content of 9.4% was obtained. The oil contained ESlH groups and formed a gel when contacted with .01 N alcoholic potash lye which cleaved hydrogen off the silicon and produced cross-linking in the polymer.

Example 8 A mixture of 15 g. MHS and 2 g. vo oc rr.-, in

200 ml. benzene was refluxed until it became light bluein color. A- mixture of 54 g. styrene and 43 g. acrylic acid methyl ester was added at C. Finally 3 10 mol of H(AuC1 )-4H O was added to the mass and a stormy reaction occurred. The polymeric product was precipitated with alcohol and there was obtained an 80% yield of a pulvernlent polymeric product containing 0.5% silicon calculated on the weight of monomers.

Example 9 A mixture of 15 g. MHS and 5 g. tetra-n-butyltitanate was dissolved in 200 ml. xylene and'the solution changed to a 3 neck fiask equipped with gas inlet tube and fused frit, stirrer and reflux condenser with gas outlet tube. The solution was heated to 140 C. with nitrogen bub- .bling through it and the solution turned dark blue. After addition of 1X10 mol of chloroplatinic acid, an acetylene stream was bubbled into the solution at 4 bubbles i I per secondfor 2 hours. The product obtained was a black powder which was filtered from the reaction mass and cleaned by washing with xylene. The polymeric powder obtained contained 9.6% silicon.

Example 1 A mixture of .10 g. MHS and 3 g. tetra-n-butyltitanate was dissolved in 250 ml. ligroin (B.P. 150-180 C.).

- The solution was placed in a 1- liter steel autoclave and heated to 120 C. under nitrogen until the solution was deep blue. A solution of 7 mg. chloroplatinic acid in 0.5

m1. ether was added via pipette. The nitrogen was driven out of the autoclave by introducing purified acetylene.

Further acetylene was added to a pressure of 10 atmos-- pheres at 115 C. and further acetylene was added to maintain that pressure at 115 C. during the reaction.

An immediate reactionwas noted. After 6 hours the autoclave'was cooled and vented and the reaction mass filtered. The polymeric product was washed with alcohol and acetone and dried. A fine black powder was obtained in good yield. The polymeric powder was excellent as a filler for rubber.

Example 11 Equivalent results were achieved when Example 1 was repeated. substituting chemically equivalent amounts of the following materials for the acrylic acid: ethylene, pentene, pentene-Z, butyne-l, methyle'thylethylene, al-

lene, methylisoprene, dipropargyl, cyclopentene, vinyl-.-

- chloridetetrafiuoroethylene, vinylacetate, vinyla'eetic acid,

methylvinylcarbinol and diallylphthalte.

Example 7 12 Equivalent results were achieved when Example 2 was repeated substituting equivalent amounts of the following materials for the methylhydrogensiloxane: methylhydrogendichlorosilane, dihydrogenotetramethyldisiloxane, trimethylsilyl endblocked methylhydrogensiloxane polymers of 504000 cs. at 25 C., copolymers of 10 mol percent methyl hydrogensiloxane and mol percent of units chosen from methylsiloxane units (CH SiO ),-dimethylsiloxane units and trimethylsiloxane units.

Example 13 Equivalent results were achieved when Example 3 was repeated substituting the following metal compounds for the tetra-n-butyltitanate: tetrapropyltitanate, tertiarybutyltrimethylzirconate, octyleneglycolylzirconate, tetwith-sodium chloride.

ra-2-ethylhexylzirconate, titanium chloride, titanium acetate, and the corresponding compounds of vanadium,

chromium, columbium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum and tungsten.

' Example 14 Equivalent results were achieved when Example 4 was repeated substituting the following metals and metal compounds for the chloroplatinic acid: powdered manganese, osmium, iridium, platinum, rhodium, palladium and gold and 11 0501,, nnrcl fmnhcu, H PdCl I .H Ml'lCl and hydrates of such compounds.

Example 15 The black polymeric powder prepared-in Example 9 8 precipitated product was cleaned with 10% H01. 44 g. of a wax-like mass with an Si contento'f 0.8% was ob tained.

was heated to 90 C. with concentrated sulfuric and in the presence of catalytic traces of mercuric oxide. The

polymeric powder dissolved to produce a deep red solu- Example 16 The black pulverulent polyene prepared in Example 9 was treated with a mixture of acetic acid and acetic acid anhydride in the presence of dry zinc chloride and at 100 C. A pale yellow product containing residual silicon was formed. The acetylated polymer was 'saponified with dilute mineral acids to produce water soluble products identified as silicon containing polyols.

Example 1 7 The black pulverulent polyene of Example 9 was heated with'10% aqueous persulfuric acid solution. A water soluble, white, silicon containing polymer was obtained by saponifying with dilute mineral acids.

Example 18 The black powdered polyene of Example 9 was heated silghtly with concentrated nitric acid. Silica was recovere'd and a yellow powder was obtained. The yellow powder was soluble in acetone and decomposed explosively under thermal or mechanical agitation.

Example 19 The black powdered polyene of Example 9 was treated at low temperature with chlorine water. A pure white 'mass was formed which contained silicon and chlorine and was soluble in chloroform.

Example 20 Example 21 A mixture of 2 g. cobalt tetracarbonyl, 17 g. MHS and 1700 ml. ligroin (B.P. 150-180") was heated in a steel autoclave under a nitrogen atmosphere to 120' until the evolution of CO gas had come to an end and the solution was dark brown. 2.2 mg. paladium hydrochloric acid dissolved in 0.2 ml. ether were added, and ethylene was forced in at 25 at. for 3 hours at 125 while stirring. The solution was mixed with methanol and the Example 22 A mixture of 1.5 g. iron pcntacarbonyl and 20 g. MHS'was dissolved in 1000 ml. toluene and the solution was, heated under nitrogen to 60 until the evolution of CO gas had come to an end and the solutionwas dark brown. After adding 3 mg. of platinum HOl,1a

mixture of 51 g. .phenyl acetylene and 52 g. styrene was slowly added to the solution while stirring. After the re action had ended the solution was mixed with ethanol and an orange viscous product was obtained, which after further precipitation from toluene with ethanol, contained 0.3% Si and had an iodine count of 54.

Example 23 A mixture of 2 g..of manganese triacetate in 150 ml. dibutylether was added to a solution of 15 g. MHS in 1300 ml. dekalin' in a 2.8 liter steel autoclave while stirring. After adding 2.2 mg. of paladium H01 it was heated to under nitrogen and the acetylene was forced in at 15 at. After the reaction the product was drawn off the solvent, treated with 10% H01 and't-hev absorbed dekalin was removed by vapor distillation. 270

g. of a black powder were obtained with an ash content of 7.6%. Y

That which is claimed is:

1. A polymerization method comprising mixing and reacting 1) an organic compound containing aliphatic unsaturation selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon alkenes and alkynes, halogenohydrocarbon alkenes and alkynes, alkenes and alkynes containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms wherein the oxygen is present in a form selected from the group consisting of ether linkages, -COOH groups, anhydride groups, --OH groups and ester groups, and alkenes and alkynes containing carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen atoms, and (2) a hydrogen-silicon compound containing at least one hydrogen atom bonded directly to silicon in each molecule selected from the group consisting of inorganic hydrogen silanes, organic hydrogen si'lanes, organic hy' drogen --'polyslianes, organic hydrogen p'olysiloxanes, organic hydrogen polysilcarbanes, organic hydrogen polysi'lazanes and mixtures of the foregoing where the organic substituents are selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals, cycloa lkyl radicals, aryl radicals, araikyl radii cals, alkaryl radicals, haloaryl radicals, and haloalkyl radicals, in the presence of (3) a compound selected from the group consisting of (A) a metal compound selected from the group consisting of alkylates, acylates, enolates and halides of Ti, V, Cr, Zr, N b, Mo, Hf,-'Ta and W and (B) those compounds which are alternatively soluble in aromatic hydrocarbon, aliphatic hydrocarbon and ether solvents and wetted by these solvents and are unsaturated in the sense of Werners theory of coordination, selected from the group consisting of metal carbonyls, metal salts of carboxylic acids, meta'l halides, metal alkylates, metal arylates and metal chelates of Mn, Tc, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Z-r, Cd, Hg, Al, Ga, In and Te, and (4) a metal selected from the group con sisting of Mn, Os, Ir, Pt, Rh, Pd and Au.

2. The method of claim-1 wherein the metal (4) is added as a metallic compound which is reduced to the metal under the conditions of reaction.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic compound (1) is an olefinic hydrocarbon compound.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the organo-silicon compound (2) is an alkylhydrogensiloxane.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the metal compound (3) is an alkylate of titanium.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the metal (4) is platinum.

(References on following page) FOREIGN PATENTS 6/59 Belgium.

.10 OTHER REFERENCES Speier et al., J .A.C.S.', 79, 974 (1957).

' Ryan et al., J.A.C.S., 82, 3601 (1960).

MURRAY TILLMAN," Primary Examiner. MILTON STERMAN, WILLIAM H. SHORT,

Examiners.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,198,766 August 3, 1965 Siegfried Nitzsche et a1.

rtified that error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby as at the said Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and th corrected below.

Column 1, line 40, strike out "Cb,.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of October 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

1. A POLYMERIZATION METHOD COMPRISING MIXING AND REACTING (1) AN ORGANIC COMPOUND CONTAINING ALIPHATIC UNSATURATION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBON ALKENES AND ALKYNES, HALOGENOHYDROCARBON ALKENES AND ALKYNES, ALKENES AND ALKYNES CONTAINING CARBON, HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN ATOMS WHEREIN THE OXYGEN IS PRESENT IN A FORM SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHER LINKAGES, -COOH GROUPS, ANHYDRIDE GROUPS, -OH GROUPS AND ESTER GROUPS, AND ALKENES AND ALKYNES CONTAINING CARBON, HYDROGEN AND NITROGEN ATOMS, AND (2) A HYDROGEN-SILICON COMPOUND CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE HYDROGEN ATOM BONDED DIRECTLY TO SILICON IN EACH MOLECULE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF INORGANIC HYDROGEN SILANES, ORGANIC HYDROGEN SILANES, ORGANIC HYDROGEN POLYSLIANES, ORGANIC HYDROGEN POLYSILOXANES, ORGANIC HYDROGEN POLYSILCARBANES, ORGANIC HYDROGEN POLYSILAZANES AND MIXTURES OF THE FOREGOING WHERE THE ORGANIC SUBSTITUENTS ARE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL RADICALS, CYCLOALKYL RADICALS, ARYL RADICALS, ARALKYL RADICALS, ALKARYL RADICALS, HALOARYL RADICALS, AND HALOALKYL RADICALS, IN THE PRESENCE OF (3) A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (A) A METAL COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROP CONSISTING OF ALKYLATES, ACYLATES, ENOLATES AND HALIDES OF TI, V, CR, ZR, NB, MO, HF, TA AND W AND (B) THOSE COMPOUNDS WHICH ARE ALTERNATIVELY SOLUBLE IN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON, ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON AND ETHER SOLVENTS AND WETTED BY THESE SOLVENTS AND ARE UNSATURATED IN THE SENSE OF WERNER''S THEORY OF COORDINATION, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METAL CARBONYLS, METAL SALTS OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS, METAL HALIDE, METAL ALKYLATES, METAL ARYLATES AND METAL CHELATES OF MN, TC, RE, FE, RU, OS, CO, RH, IR, NI, PD, PT, CU, AG, AU, ZR, CD, HG, AL, GA, IN AND TE, AND (4) A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MN, OS, IR, PR, RH, PD AND AU. 